And Lots of It!

Chocolate Pecan Pie - variation of Classic Pecan Pie recipe

As the saying goes, "As American as apple pie." The pie has evolved over the centuries. We can thank the English for introducing the pie to America. The first colonial settlers to our shores brought savory, meat based, Cottage and Shepherd's pies. Because of their crusty tops, pies acted as a means to preserve food, and were often used to keep the filling fresh during the winter months. From the native American Indian, the settlers learned about the many healthy fruits and berries and incorporated them into sweet pies. And no, at the first Thanksgiving celebration in 1621, the Pilgrims did not eat pumpkin, apple or pecan pie.

Pie recipes have changed over the years to reflect every culture it has touched. They are filled with every imaginable ingredient and combination. They are the "stars" of county fairs, picnics, holiday dessert tables and cookbooks. They have earned the title " the most traditional American dessert". The smell of a pie baking fills the home with wonderful aromas and says, "Come on in and let's eat pie!"

Ready to make your own pie? Well, learn from the best and we suggest The Pie and Pastry Biblecookbook, by award winning author Rose Levy Beranbaum. This is a comprehensive book detailing everything you wanted to know about making pies - from the crusts to the fillings. A great pie begins with a great crust and Beranbaum has devoted the first 72 pages of the book to crusts – recipes, tips and pointers on attaining a flaky crust, how to roll and shape the crust, preparing the pie pan, trimming the crust, and more. From the Pie and Pastry Bible cookbook, we have included excerpts on Pie Pointers and Pie Advice.

Now, you are ready to make a pie! We have suggested a cookbook that is the Bible of pie making and below are several of our favorite pie recipes – perfect for your Thanksgiving table!

Enjoy the following pie recipes and "Let Them Eat Pie!"...and lots of it.

Pie Facts and Trivia* • A survey by the American Pie Council found that apple pie is the favorite flavor among one out of four Americans, followed by pumpkin, chocolate, lemon meringue, and cherry. • The average American eats six slices of pie per year. • An overwhelming 76 percent of Americans prefer homemade pie over pie from a bakery or pastry shop, restaurant, diner, or supermarket. • Before pie was America's favorite dessert, fruit pies were commonly eaten as part of breakfast in the 19th century. • The term "upper crust" refers to early America when the economy was difficult and supplies were hard to come by. Only affluent households could afford ingredients for both the upper and lower crusts of a pie; thus, the term "upper crust" was born. • Shoo-fly pie is a wet-bottom molasses pie that was originally used to sit on windowsills to attract flies away from the kitchen. • Approx. $700 million in pies (approx. 186 million units) are sold in grocery stores every year. This does not include restaurants, food service or price clubs, only grocery stores. If you lined up the number of pies sold at U.S. grocery stores in one year, they would circle the globe and then some.